WHL co-founder Del Wilson dead at 88

Del Wilson, who was the Regina Pats’ general manager when they won the Memorial Cup in 1974, died Thursday morning in Campbell River, B.C. He was 88.

Wilson, who was born in Craik, established the Western Hockey League in 1966 in collaboration with Jim Piggott, Bill Hunter and Scotty Munro. Wilson also played a key role in the establishment of the Canadian Hockey League, an umbrella group that consists of the WHL, QMJHL and OHL, in 1975.

On Sept. 24, Wilson was part of the WHL’s 50th-anniversary celebrations in Moose Jaw, where the host Warriors opened the 2015-16 regular season against the Pats. Two nights later, on a Saturday, he was at the Brandt Centre for the Pats’ home opener against Moose Jaw.

“He was so excited to be back,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison said. “He was dressed and ready to go at 7:30 in the morning for each game. He was so thrilled to be there. It took every ounce of energy for him to make it there.

“He also wanted to go to a Friday night game in Saskatoon. It was all we could do to tell him to slow down and relax.”

Wilson seldom slowed down after becoming actively involved in hockey. He was a goaltender for the junior Pats in 1946 and 1947 after playing for the Regina Abbotts in 1945.

“He was a great friend and teammate,” said Gordon Staseson, who was a forward with the Abbotts when Wilson was their netminder.

“As youngsters, we learned to play the game of golf at the Wascana Country Club. He loved cars, hockey and golf, (all of) which became a part of him for the rest of his life.”

After his goaltending days, Wilson branched off into coaching minor hockey, guiding his teams to a total of 35 provincial championships. There were two consecutive seasons in which he led four teams — in the bantam, midget, juvenile and junior B ranks — to championships.

In addition, Wilson was a Western Canadian scout for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens for 47 years, concluding in 1995. He had two stints as the Pats’ general manager — 1956-68 and 1970-76. During the latter span, the Pats won their most-recent Memorial Cup championship. He was also involved with the Pats as part of an ownership group during the 1970s.

“When we bought the team, I said we’d win the Memorial Cup in four years’ time,” Wilson told the Regina Leader-Post’s Greg Harder in 2010. “I was serious. And we did win it in four years. That was the biggest excitement of my life. It’s the toughest Cup to win.”

The Del Wilson Trophy is presented annually to the league’s top goaltender. Wilson was also honoured by the league in 2005 when he received the WHL Governors Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the major-junior loop.

“He was there to support the league in every way that was needed,” Robison said. “He was the head of the officiating as the referee-in-chief for many years. He was chairman of the board.

“He was one of those go-to guys who was really critical when things were very challenging — and in that era there were very challenging times. Franchises were having difficult times operating and Del was one of the leaders of the league who, along with Scotty Munro and Bill Hunter and Jim Piggott and, soon after, Ed Chynoweth, kept the league moving in the right direction.

“Del was one of those real, strong league people who always had the best interests of the league in mind at all times.”

Wilson was enshrined into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 — the same year in which the Pats honoured him with the raising of a banner at the Brandt Centre — and entered the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame three years later.

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WHL co-founder Del Wilson dead at 88

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